Nugent’s Field Goal Lifts Bengals To 27-24 Win Over Lions

DETROIT, MI - OCTOBER 20: Punter Kevin Huber #10 holds for kicker Mike Nugent #2 of the Cincinnati Bengals as Nugent kicks the game winning field goal in the final seconds of the second half against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on October 20, 2013 in Detroit, Michigan. The Bengals defeated the Lions 27-24. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)

DETROIT, MI - OCTOBER 20: Punter Kevin Huber #10 holds for kicker Mike Nugent #2 of the Cincinnati Bengals as Nugent kicks the game winning field goal in the final seconds of the second half against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on October 20, 2013 in Detroit, Michigan. The Bengals defeated the Lions 27-24. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)

DETROIT (AP) — For the second straight week, Mike Nugent gave the Cincinnati Bengals a hard-fought win on the road.

Nugent’s 54-yard field goal as time expired lifted Cincinnati to a 27-24 win over the Detroit Lions on Sunday.

The AFC North-leading Bengals (5-2) won a game for the second straight week by the same score thanks to Nugent’s right foot. He made an overtime kick to give Cincinnati a win after it blew a 14-point, fourth-quarter lead at Buffalo.

The Lions (4-3) rallied from an 11-point, third-quarter deficit and looked as if they did enough to send the game to OT, but rookie Sam Martin shanked a punt just 28 yards to midfield in the final minute.

Andy Dalton, who had three touchdown passes, threw two short passes to gain 15 yards and called the team’s last timeout to set up the game-winning field goal.

Dalton was 24 of 34 for 372 yards, the third-highest total of his career, and didn’t throw an interception to help him reach a career-high 135.9 QB rating.

Detroit’s Matthew Stafford connected with Calvin Johnson on two of his three TD passes.

Stafford was 28 of 51 for 357 yards and didn’t throw an interception. Johnson caught nine passes for 155 yards and his second score was one of his most impressive because he leaped to catch a 50-yard pass while surrounded by three Bengals in the end zone to make it 24-all early in the fourth.

The Bengals had a pretty good pitch-and-catch combination, too.

Cincinnati scored the first time it had the ball when Dalton connected with A.J. Green on an 82-yard TD, the second-longest pass of his career, after the receiver got past cornerback Chris Houston. Green finished with six catches and 155 yards receiving.